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What travelers are saying

"FANTASTIC. Start to finish it is such a fantastic taste of Central America, all the destinations are interesting and you can do as much or as little as you choose."

What travelers are saying

"(Translated by Google) Helpful and polite. I have no complaints . We had a great time in Bansko. Kids are always willing to help with anything. I highly recommend Oxygen Tours !!! (Original) Εξυπηρετικοί και ευγενικοί . Δεν έχω κανένα παράπονο . Περάσαμε τέλεια στο Μπανσκο. Τα παιδιά είναι πάντα πρόθυμα να βοηθήσουν σε οτιδήποτε προκύψει.Συνιστώ ανεπιφύλακτα Oxygen Tours !!!"

What travelers are saying

"(Translated by Google) Helpful and polite. I have no complaints . We had a great time in Bansko. Kids are always willing to help with anything. I highly recommend Oxygen Tours !!! (Original) Εξυπηρετικοί και ευγενικοί . Δεν έχω κανένα παράπονο . Περάσαμε τέλεια στο Μπανσκο. Τα παιδιά είναι πάντα πρόθυμα να βοηθήσουν σε οτιδήποτε προκύψει.Συνιστώ ανεπιφύλακτα Oxygen Tours !!!"

What travelers are saying

"FANTASTIC. Start to finish it is such a fantastic taste of Central America, all the destinations are interesting and you can do as much or as little as you choose."

What travelers are saying

"FANTASTIC. Start to finish it is such a fantastic taste of Central America, all the destinations are interesting and you can do as much or as little as you choose."

What travelers are saying

"I would steer clear of Backroads until Covid is over. We were on the Costa Rica tour when a fellow traveler tested positive. The guides refused to require that all travelers and staff wear masks or be tested. They kept repeating that they were following CDC guidelines, but this was not the case. CDC guidelines state that after an exposure, one should wear a tight fitting mask for 10 days when interacting with anyone and should be tested starting 5 days after exposure. Our group of six was appalled by their policy and left the tour returning to the US. Also be aware that their biking equipment was very substandard. We were riding in the rain with bikes that were difficult to stop on steep slopes, as they were not equipped with disc brakes. They also were not equipped with mirrors or lights. The front derailleurs were also very poorly adjusted as most of the riders threw their chains during the ride. Meals and the hotel were very good. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html Two calls to Backroads have not been returned."

What travelers are saying

"First, let me say our tour guide Tomomi S. is hands down THE best tour guide I’ve ever had - knowledgeable, fun and made great efforts to ensure that we were comfortable and happy (MTSobek tour guides are independent contractors. Tomomi also works for other Adventure/Tour companies) Secondly, Japan is beautiful, clean and the Japanese people are very welcoming. The hiking in the national parks was amazing. It could have been a truly five-star experience if MtSobek had not cut corners so egregiously. The website said (at the time) group tours are 5-22 people. The tour gets canceled if the minimum is not met. When I paid there were TWO other people booked-a mother and daughter duo. Shortly before our departure date I called to see if the tour would be cancelled. I wanted my money back but Mt Sobek was “pleased to say that the trip would not be canceled”. In other words, I could not get a refund. At the last minute a guy named Matt signed up so there were four of us. Five days into the trip Matt left and took a train back to Tokyo. I said to him “You realize Mt Sobek is not going to refund you”. He said, “I don’t care, Mt Sobek scammed us.” With tax, the tour costs $11,645 for 13 nights. For that price there is an expectation that the accommodations Mt Sobek chooses would be decent and clean. We all fully expected a ‘traditional Japanese experience’ which often means no private bath and 8 out of the 13 nights we slept on futon mats on the floor. However, Mt Sobek consistently booked us in the cheapest Ryokans (hotels) in each area in which we travelled. Most of these hotels were unclean and very out-dated. One Ryokan they booked us in was listed on a hotel website for $40 USD/night when there were much nicer accommodations nearby for $100 USD/night. (The Japanese yen is way down, the luxury Park Hotel in Tokyo was $200 USD/night. A comparable hotel would have been about $800/night in Austin.). We were the only people staying in several hotels that accomadated many more people. The most egregious example of MtSobek’s booking the cheapest rooms is when we were booked at a large traditional ski lodge at the base of a spectacular mountain. It was beautiful on the website but had two very different wings. One wing was modern, clean and beautiful with simple beds. The other wing was very old (similar to a cheap Motel 6 that had not been updated since the 1970’s). The carpet and bathrooms were disgusting and like many of the Ryocans where we stayed the futon mats seemed as though they had not been cleaned In 30 years. Only after our tour guide checked us in did we realize we had been booked in the cheap rooms. I asked Tomo why. Immediately someone from MtSobek reached out to me and said, “gosh, I’m sorry you did not realize you were going to have a traditional Japanese experience”. Really? “Traditional” experience depends upon one’s budget. In the US, “traditional” to some people may be the Marriott, a Motel 6 or the Four Seasons Hotels. We were paying for a Marriott experience and received the one-star Motel 6 experience. Upon arrival in Tokyo I expected to be met at the airport by a driver (as many tour companies do). However, several days before our arrival dates in Tokyo, MtSobek sent an email telling us how to locate taking a city bus from the bustling Tokyo airport. That is interesting if you do not speak Japanese. MtSobek cleverly uses great photography and elaborate descriptions of the national parks and the hiking while using terms like “traditional Japanese experience with tatami-mat sleeping” to disguise sub-standard accommodations. At one point we were looking on-line at the very hotel where we were staying and did not even recognize it from the website pictures. The hiking was amazing. The group size was disappointing with just the three of us. I would absolutely recommend a hiking tour through Japan, just not with MtSobek."

What travelers are saying

"Put this trip on your bucket list! Coasta and Danae were awesome Skipper, Guide, cook, you name it, they did it. If you like personal attention, these two will give you that. They are young, fun and professional. Beautiful boat, water, islands, and villages. My sister and I are in our 70’s, cousin 60 and the remaining passengers 50’s and 30’s. So good trip for all ages. You can’t beat the money value of this trip. It includes breakfast and most lunches. I would love to do this trip again."